


Infinite Moments

by daasvedanya



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, after school friendship!, prom feelings!, what more do you need really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 13:58:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3572216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daasvedanya/pseuds/daasvedanya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephanie and Cassandra meet at the after-school YMCA when they're nine. Cassandra goes to Stephanie's prom as her date when they're eighteen. There are so many moments in between.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Infinite Moments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nephthysian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nephthysian/gifts).



> happy birthday, rachel! this was an au she and i came up with and i just kind of took it and ran. hopefully it's to your liking! i love you and i love these girls and how much we've bonded over them. you'll always be the cass to my steph.

_when they were nine_

 

 

 

Stephanie slung her bag over her shoulder and trudged out to the front of the YMCA to wait for her parents. The sun was high in the sky and beat down hard. She had half her uniform on, a yellow belt tied haphazardly around her waist, and her cheeks were flushed and gleaming with sweat.

Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, she looked in either direction to find an ideal spot to sit and wait. There was a bench under the shade of a big oak tree. A black haired girl sat alone there; Stephanie figured they were probably around the same age. She looked familiar and Stephanie supposed they had probably just passed each other here. A lot of them all knew each other by face if not by name.

She dropped her bag to the ground and exhaustedly collapsed on the bench. It felt good to sit. The other girl barely gave her a glance.

As Stephanie rummaged through her bag for her water bottle, she looked to the girl.

"I like your shoes!" The girl looked down at her ballet flats when Stephanie suddenly exclaimed. She didn't respond though. Stephanie wasn't perturbed; she was used to being mouthy. "Ballet, right? That's _awesome_. I could never do dance. I'd trip over my own feet." She laughed. The other girl smiled, but still didn't say anything. Stephanie peered closer and remained on her half of the bench. "I'm Stephanie, by the way!"

"I'm Cassandra."

"Nice to meet you! Do you do any other dance besides ballet?"

Cassandra folded her hands in her lap and nodded. "I know contemporary and jazz."

Stephanie didn't know too much about that but it sounded impressive. A lot of things sounded impressive to her. "I'm doing taekwondo myself. I can hide my clumsiness better there sometimes."

"I do that on the weekend."

"No way! What belt are you?"

"I'm a red belt."

" _Whoa_." Stephanie scooted a little closer to Cassandra. "You must be _really_ good, then. Hey! Do you think you could show me some moves sometime? I can totally impress everyone in my class." She grinned from ear to ear.

"Maybe."

"I might make a fool of myself, just a warning."

"I'm sure I've seen worse." This made Stephanie smile, and Cassandra smiled back. Stephanie took that as a good sign. She liked to think she knew when people tired of her incessant energy, her sunny hair and bright smiles, her will that practically burst from every fingertip. She liked to think that.

They talked about taekwondo, and ballet, although Stephanie felt very lost on a lot of the terminology with that. Stephanie pulled her legs up and hugged them to her chest. Cassandra didn't say much, but Stephanie was enjoying herself immensely. It made the loud honk of a car far more disappointing than it should have been.

"Those are my parents," Stephanie explained, waving to her mom that she'd be there in a minute. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She gathered her bag and practically skipped to the car, giving Cassandra one last look and eager wave from the window before they drove off.

 

 

Cassandra couldn't help it, couldn't help looking for that blonde girl in the white brushed cotton uniform, whose new friendship was unexpected but not unwelcome. She wasn't disappointed. Stephanie stepped out of the building and it was as though their eyes were immediately met, as though they were looking for each other. Cassandra couldn't deny that.

"Do you wanna come get ice cream with me?" It wasn't what Cassandra expected to hear. She actually wasn't sure _what_ she expected to hear. Stephanie was digging a hand in one of her pockets. Moments later she triumphantly pulled out some dollar bills. "Leftover chore money." She was proud of it, Cassandra could tell.

She picked up her bag and followed Stephanie. There was no other answer, really.

They meandered back into the building, Stephanie telling her about the new moves they learned today in class.

There was a small store in the back of the building where the kids could buy snacks. They made a beeline for the freezer which held all the various ice creams, whether it be chocolate or vanilla or something on the fruity side.

"What do you like? I love these." Stephanie pulled out a colorful popsicle that looked far too sweet for Cassandra's taste.

Cassandra peered into the freezer; it was a little overwhelming. "I don't know." She felt Stephanie's eyes on her and looked back at her.

"I could surprise you. I promise it'll be good."

Probably couldn't end _too_ terribly, and so Cassandra agreed.

After Stephanie paid (for which Cassandra promised she'd pay her back which Stephanie insisted she didn't have to), she handed Cassandra her ice cream. As Stephanie had promised, it was delicious. Not too sweet at all. Completely unlike her new friend.

 

 

 

_when they were twelve_

 

 

 

Stephanie was testing for her blue belt. Cassandra sat in the audience, quiet and eager. She remembered this test well. A few months ago, Stephanie had come to her dance recital, flowers in hand. Cassandra didn't haven't any flowers for Stephanie but she also knew that Stephanie wouldn't mind.

It was nice having a friend like that, having a friend at all, a best friend, even.

When Stephanie stepped onto the mat, Cassandra scooted forward in her seat. She watched her friend's every move, studied the extension of her leg and the way she crouched in defense. Technique was not Stephanie's greatest strength but there was a tenacity in her every move, a sheer force of will that she put into every one of her punches and kicks. Something gleamed in Stephanie's eye and Cassandra found herself smiling, only peripherally aware she was doing it.

Cassandra's pulse was racing, but nowhere near as much as Stephanie's. She didn't cheer when Stephanie completed everything with determination and accepted her new belt proudly, but she felt something bubbling up inside of her.

Afterward, Cassandra let the crowd thin out before she found Stephanie. She heard, rather than saw, her best friend.

"I did it!" Stephanie proudly held up the belt and then threw her arms around her friend.

The contact was nice, familiar now, where once it hadn't been for Cassandra. She hugged back and noticed for the first time how lean Stephanie's body was, how good the embrace felt with adrenaline thrumming all around them. She couldn't have possibly known that Stephanie was thinking how nice she smelled at the exact same moment.

 

 

 

_when they were fifteen_

 

 

 

Stephanie started dating Tim in high school. She really liked him. And luckily for her, so did Cassandra. It was nice. Nicer than nice. Stephanie couldn't have imagine a better high school experience.

"This test is going to be the death of meeeeee."

Except for that.

Groaning, Stephanie flung herself over the top of the couch, wildly waving a piece of paper as if it had grievously offended her. Which, to be fair, it had in a way.

"Give it here," Tim said calmly as he took it from her. His eyes scanned the paper, making thoughtful noises every now and then. Stephanie sniggered and suddenly looked at Cass before she mockingly started making the same noises. Cassandra smiled as Tim exclaimed indignantly and Stephanie considered it a win. "Well, I _was_ going to offer you my help."

"Maybe I wasn't looking for your help," Stephanie said with a lilt as she scrambled over the couch. She proceeded to take Tim's face into her hands and kiss him, laughing against his lips. "You're such a baby," she said affectionately.

Stephanie sighed, contented, happy. She felt lucky. She looked over to her best friend. "What do you think, Cass?"

Cassandra raised her eyebrows and assessed Tim. "Baby," she finally concluded.

Stephanie let out a triumphant shriek and kicked her legs in the air. When she spotted Tim's expression, a completely fake pout, she let out a delighted giggle. "I'll let you help later. But first: who's up for some sparring?"

 

 

 

_when they were eighteen_

 

 

 

Cassandra looked in the mirror nervously. The black dress fit her nicely, stretched across her thighs and dipped at her back. She bit her lip.

When the doorbell rang, her heart dropped to her stomach. It leapt back into her throat when she opened the door and saw Stephanie, draped in purples against her glowing skin. Body language was trickier now, when had it become so tricky, she had relied on it for so long.

"You look amazing!" Stephanie was all hyperboles and smiles and Cassandra didn't doubt that she meant every one of them. It made the air lighter, but Cassandra didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

"You look really nice, too." Because she did and Cassandra couldn't help but notice the smell of perfume around Stephanie, vanilla and intoxicating, as their arms entwined naturally. "I'm nervous," she admitted, and she didn't know if Stephanie heard or if she even wanted Stephanie to hear.

A gentle squeeze on her arm gave her the answer. When Cassandra looked at her, she saw the warmth and affection and gratitude and it was enough, it was all enough and it always had been. "I know," Stephanie began. "But I'm really glad you're here. I'm glad it's you. I know Tim and I are still friends but prom with your ex-boyfriend?" She made a face and a smudge of lipstick brushed onto her tooth. Cassandra made a note to tell her after she finished. "And that's okay. Because I wanted to go with you, I always did."

They walked closer together after that.

Prom was loud. That was the first thing Cassandra noticed. And it was fun. They danced a lot, sometimes with Tim, and Stephanie's two left feet had minds of their own. But Cass didn't mind when it meant that Stephanie frequently wrapped her arms around Cassandra and she could smell the sugary hints of frosting and strawberries on Stephanie's breath.

"Okay, now a funny face," Stephanie instructed, squeezed in beside Cassandra in the photo booth. Cassandra did the best funny face she could think of which turned into a laugh when the camera clicked at the sight of Stephanie's funny face. "Now like this."

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Cass' neck and pressed their cheeks together. Heat radiated off of them both and they stayed like that several moments after the last photo was taken. Their breaths mingled and their bodies relaxed. "We should... get out. People are probably... waiting." Stephanie's whisper made Cass swallow.

Shoes were abandoned under the table, large gulps of cold air were taken when they finally escaped the stuffy dance floor and went outside, hands were always held. Cassandra hadn't minded the lack of prom at her school but the idea of doing this again, doing this with Stephanie again, made her mind a little bit.

The night ended late. Cassandra didn't know what time it was. It didn't really matter, she supposed. The moments would stretch into infinites if she willed it hard enough.

Feeling a tug on her hand, Cassandra looked over her shoulder. Stephanie had stopped walking. Cassandra stepped closer.

"You feel it, don't you?" Stephanie squeezed her hand before she surged forward, as if propelled by something, and kissed Cassandra. Stephanie's lips were soft, they were small and tasted of everything Cassandra had always imagined.

The moment stretched for one second, two seconds, three seconds. The moment stretched until it didn't. A new moment stretched, helping each other out of their dresses, until that moment ended too. Pressing close, sliding beneath the cool cotton sheets, this moment stretched the longest out of any of them.

There was always an end. And when one moment ended, another began. An infinite number of moments, of kisses, of touches, of smiles, of breaths, and of desire, of sighing, of realizing they could have all the moments they ever wanted.


End file.
